OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens released three undrafted rookies Tuesday, cutting ties with fullback B.J. Dean (Florida State), offensive lineman Robin Meadow (Washington) and wide receiver Tres Moses (Rutgers).
The transactions bring the roster down to 84 players, so Baltimore will have to cut 19 players by August 29 to get down to the league-mandated limit of 65 players. Teams have to shave their roster to 53 players by September 2.
The cuts offered another reminder that players on the bubble are down to one of their final chances to make an impression Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
"Not a lot of opportunities, you only have so many snaps," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "You’ve got to show some way that you belong in this league. The only place you can really do that is on the game field. Practice is great and you get an inclination, but if it doesn’t show up on the game field, I’m not sure what the value is."
QUICK HITS: Offensive guard Brian Rimpf (hamstring), safety B.J. Ward (migraines), running back Jamal Lewis (hip) and wide receiver Matt Cherry (shoulder) didn’t practice. … Punter Leo Araguz returned to practice after missing the previous two days as his wife gave birth to a baby girl. … Billick sounded none to pleased about Tuesday’s practice. "It was okay," he said. "The look teams need to sharpen up a little bit." When asked what displeased him the most, he replied: "Lack of focus, taking this game for granted, thinking you know it all. It’s hard not to because you’ve been at it a long time, you’ve heard the same thing over and over. ‘I got it, I got it.’ Then, you go and make a mistake. You can’t fall into that trap."
Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times in Westminster, Maryland.
